12-10-2018, 12:33 PM
(12-10-2018, 10:54 AM)Speedy Thomas Wrote: I want to win every game. I've been through it all with the Bengals since the beginning. And yes, I understand draft order, dead cat bounce, blah blah blah. But what I saw yesterday were players busting their ass to win. If you don't want them to win, you're not a bad fan -- I don't know how you can even call yourself a fan.
That's the difference between some fans. Some root for players/guys and act like we're in the huddle with them.
Others (like me) view it more as an organization with names that change every year. I root for the organization that represents where I was born and raised. That's a good explanation of my fandom. I may care about some of these guys personally, but rarely am I going to get broken hearted for players over losses. These guys are professionals and they can handle losing. Meanwhile, I've been a Bengals fan for 25 years. Ain't no player ever going to put in anything close to that...and most will play for several other teams while we remain Bengals fans.
So for the most part, I stay emotionally detached from from individual players. They are chess pieces being used to help my team win. Besides, when it comes to long-term Bengals like AJ/Andy/Carlos,Geno, losing out this year will be better for THEM in the long haul, despite the short term sting of these losses.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
